If you don’t qualify for a public defender due to financial eligibility or if you’re facing a legal issue that the Department of Public Defense doesn’t handle, several other legal resources and options are available to you.

Find these resources in Spanish.

Do you need to speak to an attorney? If so, call 2-1-1.

King County 2-1-1 provides the most comprehensive information on health and human services available to King County residents. The information and referral specialists at 2-1-1 can direct callers to appropriate legal services available to low-income residents. They can also direct callers to other needed services, including food, shelter, housing, rent and utility assistance, health care, family support, financial assistance and more.

The referral line is open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.

What will happen when people call 2-1-1 for legal help? 2-1-1 specialists are not lawyers and cannot provide legal advice. However, callers can expect to speak with a trained information and referral specialist who will collect demographic and income information, discuss their legal issue, and, if an appropriate legal resource is available, provide a referral.

People may also access the Crisis Center 211 website (external) for information on legal services and service providers.

Do you want to visit a free legal clinic? If so, attend a KCBA Neighborhood Legal Clinic.

The King County Bar Association Neighborhood Legal Clinics sponsors free Neighborhood Legal Clinics. Volunteer attorneys provide up to 30 minutes of free legal advice and consultation to King County residents at a variety of locations. Please see the website for details, times and locations.

Do you need legal information or self-help packets? If so, visit www.WashingtonLawhelp.org.

This site provides a wealth of information, suggested resources, printable self-help packets, videos and more on the following issues:

• Family law
• Housing
• Consumer issues and debt
• Protection from abuse
• Public benefits
• Senior issues

Other agencies that provide legal services

American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU)

Provides information, coaching, resource referrals and more.

(206) 624-2184 | www.aclu-wa.org

Attorney General’s Office Consumer Protection

Offers help on consumer protection issues.

(800) 551-4636 | www.atg.wa.gov/consumer-protection

Benefits Law Center

Provides legal advice and representation to low-income individuals with disabilities, helping them obtain Social Security disability and SSI benefits.  

(206) 686-7252 or info@benefitslawcenter.org | benefitslawcenter.org

Disability Rights Washington

Provides legal information for people with disabilities.

(206) 324-1521 (Local) or (800) 562-2702 (statewide) | www.disabilityrightswa.org

Fair Work Center

Provides a civil legal aid clinic for workers in employment law cases; the clinic is operated in partnership with Seattle University and the University of Washington schools of law. 

(844) 485-1195 or help@fairworkcenter.org | www.fairworkcenter.org

King County Bar Association Free Legal Assistance

Provides legal services to people facing evictions, landlord-tenant disputes, contested divorce, SSI issues and more.

(206) 267-7100 | www.kcba.org/For-the-Public/Free-Legal-Assistance

King County Dispute Resolution Center

Offers affordable mediation and conflict resolution services for individuals, families and businesses.

(206) 443-9603 or drcinfo@kcdrc.org | www.kcdrc.org

Legal Counsel for Youth & Children

Advances legal rights of young people through direct representation, community partnerships, and systemic advocacy.

(206) 494-0323 | lcycwa.org

Legal Voice

Advocates for our region’s most marginalized communities, including women of color, lesbians, transgender and gender-nonconforming people, immigrants, people with disabilities, low-income women, and others affected by gender oppression and injustice.

(206) 682-9552 | www.legalvoice

Moderate Means Program (Washington State Bar Association)

Provides clients of moderate means facing family, consumer or housing law issues with lawyers at reduced fees. 

Apply online by visiting its website: www.wsba.org/connect-serve/volunteer-with-wsba/mmp/mmpclients

Northwest Immigrant Rights Project

Provides direct legal services to immigrants.

(206) 587-4009 or (800) 445-5771 (statewide) | www.nwirp.org

Northwest Justice Project

The state’s publicly funded legal aid program, it maintains WashingtonLawHelp (see above) and provides legal services in housing, health care, education and more.

(206) 464-1519 | www.nwjustice.org

Open Door Legal Services (Seattle Union Gospel Mission)

Provides legal services on criminal warrants, debts, court fines and relicensing, child support and visitation.

David Mace at (206) 682-4642 or dmace@ugm.org | www.ugm.org/what-we-do/stabilization/legal-services

TeamChild

Provides legal services for youth in need of help with housing, education, health care and more.

(206) 322-2444 | www.teamchild.org

Tenant Law Center (Catholic Community Services)

Provides free legal assistance to low-income people in Seattle who are facing evictions, subsidy terminations, debtor/creditor issues and more.

(206) 324-6890 | ccsww.org/get-help/specialized-services/tenant-law-center

The Unemployment Law Project

Provides legal services to people who have been denied unemployment benefits.

(206) 441-9178 or (888) 441-9178 | www.unemploymentlawproject.org

Urban League of Metropolitan Seattle

Provides information on housing, education, employment.

(206) 461-3792 | www.urbanleague.org

Washington Innocence Project

Provides free investigative and legal services in cases of innocence with supporting newly discovered evidence.

(206) 636-9479 | wainnocenceproject.org